Birthday Present!!

I need help deciding what i want for my birthday. As of now i have one idea, and that would be a dell axim. My parents have given a $500 limit (can prob go up to 550 if need be) So i need help, i dont know what to get. I will be a freshman at carnegie mellon next year and could use a pda but would rather get it as a birthday present. So help me out guys (im already getting a new MBP) what can i get? Im very into electronics and cool gadgets (that i will use)

Dan

EDIT: Just to clarify, i do not want a PDA, but as of now its an option that my parents gave me. Id rather get something than $500 check (cause i know ill spend it on stupid stuff)

Mobile internet and aim so i wouldnt carry my MBP everywhere, but like i said i dont like that present idea.

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One of my roommates bought an older Axim to do just the same thing. He sold the thing on eBay last year. I've been wanting a PDA as well but I never get interested enough in one to spend that much money on it.

Be sure to use boot camp on the macbook, though, I've found the PPC syncing programs for mac to be completely useless (like pocketmac) sure, you can sync ican and address book, but.... yeah.. that's all it can do.

I don't think you'll use a PDA as much as you're thinking. I'm in college now, and got a PDA for christmas last year, thinking I'd use it all the time. I ended up using it to check e-mail in class and that's about it. I think you might be better off either waiting and getting something you need, rather than getting something just to get it.

I don't think you'll use a PDA as much as you're thinking. I'm in college now, and got a PDA for christmas last year, thinking I'd use it all the time. I ended up using it to check e-mail in class and that's about it. I think you might be better off either waiting and getting something you need, rather than getting something just to get it.

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agreed, so im off the pda idea. i have a camera, and i dont want speakers cause i dont think i would use them much if i could just listen to the music from my comp speakers

I'm a rising junior in college and I find my PDA indispensable...it's a combo device, phone+PocketPC (the K-Jam), and actually just recently died on me (perfect timing because I'm switching over to Verizon, so I'm picking up the Motorola Q sans data access).

I use it to keep track of meetings, to-dos, phone numbers; I use AvantGo to synchronize news for reading between classes. I'm also a science major and I carry lab-related work (reports and such) around as well.

I had been synchronizing with an old PC until last week when I started using the Missing Sync 2.5 beta, which works perfectly for synchronizing. The only thing I can't do is install apps from exe files.

I think a PDA is more useful for college students in theory. Unless you have a lot of info (exams, study groups, appointments) to keep track of, your MBP and a (paper) notebook will probably be fine. A friend of mine had one of those PDAs that comes with a separate keyboard that folds out. (I don't know what brand... I'm really not that familiar with PDAs!) He used his like a laptop to take notes in class, but since you are getting a MBP, I don't know if you really need that option.

The camera sounds like a good idea. You should be able to get a pretty nice set-up for $500.

Speakers aren't too bad an idea - nothing worse than having people over to your room/flat/house and only having computer speakers for the music.

As for your camera, how good is it? It pays to have a decent camera for Uni to get good shots of people and events you'll want to try and remember the next day.

I'd steer clear of a PDA - just really not worth the bother unless you're completely hooked into it. I used a pad and pen for keeping track of events which then went into iCal when I got home and onto my iPod to carry around. I just think there are better things you could buy.

You could use that $500 for a smallish but decent TV, maybe some sort of DVD player. I dunno, kit out your Uni college room with it - get some cool stuff.

Not wanting to seem like an old hippy p), but you could always think of something you'd like that didn't cost $500 and just get that. You don't have to 'use up' the whole $500 if there's nothing you want that much, do you?

Have them give it to you in cash. Then send it to my address. I will send you somehting in return, but I wont tell you. It's more fun this way.

Or

Get an iHome or a iPod speaker dock system. I like the iHome the best. A Camera (if you don't already have one) Is a great idea. You can take hundresds of pics of your friends and then just load it onto your MBP and edit them niceley. Or a camcorder, to record your friends/trips and stuff, and then make a dvd.

Have them give it to you in cash. Then send it to my address. I will send you somehting in return, but I wont tell you. It's more fun this way.

Or

Get an iHome or a iPod speaker dock system. I like the iHome the best. A Camera (if you don't already have one) Is a great idea. You can take hundresds of pics of your friends and then just load it onto your MBP and edit them niceley. Or a camcorder, to record your friends/trips and stuff, and then make a dvd.

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Don't send it to him. I will send you much better crap...er...stuff than he will. I promise.

Personally I think you have everything you could possibly need or want at this point in time. I don't see why you're in such a rush to spend the money. At your age you ought to have sense enough to put that money in a bank account and sit on it until you need it for something you really want. To be frank I don't quite understand your parents. They're buying you a $2000+ computer, yet they also feel the need to spend another $500 on a gift. Show them some appreciation by asking for a check and putting it in the bank to collect some interest on it for a while. If you can only think of spending it on "stupid stuff" then I'm afraid you're parents have done a poor job of educating you on the value of a hard-earned buck.

1) You don't need to spend exactly $500.
2) You don't need to spend $500 all at once.
2) You don't need to buy anything.

Save it for a rainy day, or buy something small and don't bother with the rest of it. Maybe you'd like a laptop backpack, notebook sleeve, or an accessory to go with your new MBP. It won't cost you $500, but you still got something for your birthday.

Looks like your "already have" list includes pretty much anything I'd want personally for a dorm room. I didn't see a TV on there, so that's really my only worthwhile suggestion (ideal would be a flatscreen that doubles as a monitor, given the confines of a dorm room, but that's not really necessary). Otherwise, I'd say just ask for something small and be happy with what you've got (or ask to have it put in the bank for a rainy day or when you really need something).

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